Sports

Brendan Seys one of just five Canadians at Dustin Johnson World Junior Golf Championship

Mark Malone, Postmedia Network

Thursday, February 11, 2016
2:57:54 EST PM

Port Lambton's Brendan Seys is one of only five Canadians at the the inaugural Dustin Johnson World Junior Golf Championship at Myrtle Beach this weekend. The field has 61 boys and 29 girls, including golfers from China, Sweden, Japan, the United Kingdom and the Philippines. (File photo)

Seys, 17, will play Saturday to Monday at TPC Myrtle Beach in Murrells Inlet, S.C.

His game should be ready for any chilly temperatures after practising all winter at an outdoor range when he wasn't hitting in his barn.

“I'd say so. I don't know how it's going to stand up off the grass, but it's pretty good off the mat,” he said, laughing.

The Grade 12 student at Ursuline College Chatham is one of only five Canadians at the tournament. The field has 61 boys and 29 girls, including golfers from China, Sweden, Japan, the United Kingdom and the Philippines.

He was accepted after submitting a resume. Last year, he was ninth at the American Junior Golf Association's Randy Wise Junior Open and 11th at the CN Future Links Ontario Championship. He was fourth on the 2014 Golf Association of Ontario order of merit for juvenile boys.

“It's going to be a pretty top-notch tournament considering it's the first one,” Seys said. “I think they'll want to attract top players in the future.”

Players will be given a PGA Tour-like experience. Their names will be on lockers and on placards at the driving range. Lockers will be stuffed with gifts. Live scoring will be available throughout the property.

“They're going to try to make it pretty special,” said Seys, who plays at Maple City Country Club in Chatham.

The tournament is a chance for him to beef up his resume and maybe impress some college coaches who wouldn't normally watch golfers from up north.

However, many of his competitors hail from warmer climates and may be sharper early in the season. Seys feels good about his game – he's been putting a lot indoors – but he's keeping his expectations modest.

“Probably just consistency, I guess, just because it's the winter,” he said about his goals. “I'm actually not expecting much. I'm expecting to do my best and play as well as I can.”

Johnson, who's playing this weekend in California at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, is ranked eighth in the world.

He has nine wins on the PGA Tour and more than $30 million in career earnings. He has 10 top-10 results at major championships, including three in 2015.